Last week I was at Godrej L’Affaire, a glittering lifestyle event at Godrej One in Vikhroli that’s in its fourth year. Winding walkways through trees festooned with fairy lights led us to interesting installations like the artistic interpretation of locks and the grooming hub by Cinthol, various brand promotions (like TATA’s electric SUV called the Nexon EV and Ginevra fragrances from Raymond), a whimsical fashion show by Monisha Jaising and Shweta Bachchan Nanda and some stellar vocals onstage by Sushant Digvikar (he calls himself Rani Ko-HE-Nur) and his band TopStorey. Some superlative food – that vegan stall with its avocado chocolate mousse stole my heart – and drinks in a lovely open-air venue that brought people together in an easy, fluid format.
This was also the platform where the Godrej Food Trends Report 2020 was launched with all the leading lights of the foodie community. Rushina M Ghildiyal, MD of A Perfect Bite Consulting, who conceptualised, curated and wrote this report, observes,
“In a country where cultures, cuisine preferences and consumer demands change every hundred kilometres (sometimes even less) what works in one region may not even cause a blip in another!” The report, which maps the trends by region, notes how Bengaluru may be riding the Brewery wave, but Chennai has not really taken to it.
Mumbai has responded to regional pop-ups enthusiastically, but Delhi is nonchalant about them. Indore is expanding its culinary wings and Kolkata is looking back at its culinary traditions.
The entire report made for compelling reading, but I personally love (and also strongly advocate most of) their one-page list of ‘Trends we never want to see again’! These are: Molecular gastronomy, Fusion, Activated charcoal, Liquid nitrogen, Pretentious presentation, Artificially coloured food, Modern Indian, Foam Freakshakes, Gimmicky Food.
While all the rest have all long passed their sell-by date, the only item on this list that I still want on my plate is Modern Indian. Not gimmicky or pretentiously presented using molecular gastronomy employing liquid nitrogen, of course.
But just good Indian dishes that are cleverly conceptualised and plated in a way that allows them to co-exist comfortably in fine-dining restaurants with Continental fare. You don’t have to be a pot of flaming hot curry to be quintessentially Indian, right?
Meanwhile, the Foodhall Food Trends Report 2020, the brand’s first foray into trend forecasting, is based on the valuable information relating to consumer purchasing behaviour that the chain of high-end supermarket stores is privy to. According to them, Brussels sprouts – much maligned in popular fiction – are the new green.
I wouldn’t go so far as to call them ‘cruciferous cuties’ as they have, but I certainly have seen them on many a menu of late. They also believe that Indians are now looking beyond avocado, trying to make guacamole using everything from edamame to white beans to roasted winter squash to zucchini!
“I attribute the popularity of these ‘faux guacs’ to the fact that they have a familiar flavour profile painted on a different canvas,” explains Abhaas Mehrotra, Executive Chef of Sorrentina, the Italian restaurant atop Foodhall at Khar.
Checking out these trend analyses as well as a few global ones, it’s becoming apparent that the world as we know it is changing and so are our choices. Especially among what I call ‘the avocado-toast set’. And even if you aren’t quite as ‘woke’ and radical as dyed-in-the-wool hipsters, there’s a lot to be said for diet choices that range from Vegan to Keto to gluten free that have people opting for alternatives across the aisles.
For example, pomegranate molasses or monkfruit are hailed as the new sugar, Harissa is the new Sriracha, quinoa and amaranth puffs are the new farsaan and purple yam is the new butterfly pea as a colourant! Milk can now be soy and almond but also oat, walnut, coconut, rice, pistachio and even hemp-based. Internationally, the pea milk craze is reaching boiling point.
The reports also track the ‘back to roots’ trend, with more interest in Ayurveda. Many are finding favour in India’s traditional beliefs. Those who spurned maa ke haath ka haldi ka doodh before are lapping up turmeric lattes at trendy cafes, with other turmeric-based products on Foodhall shelves going up by 92 per cent last year!
Another positive global trend all the reports agree on is the increasing emphasis on clean eating (raw, whole foods) of produce that is seasonal and sustainable (locally sourced and cruelty free). And then there’s the decided swing towards reduced waste.
With the advent of zero-waste kitchens as a goal, bins are being fed less and less. People are discovering new uses for waste such as roasting vegetable peels to make chips, making kimchi with cabbage butts, and pâté from mushroom stems, etc. Now, isn’t all this something that most Indian moms have already done for generations?
Moral of the story? As far as you go to try new things, sometimes the most unexpected treasures can be the ones forgotten in your own backyard.
